Liberate yourself (piss pot)

​Mark Essen’s work has taken inspiration from eighteenth century chamber pots and crowns. Essen has used the same materials to produce works that embody notions of abjection and power, He conflates the value, meaning and function of both these objects which oscillate between celebration and ridicule. In so doing, he plays with the potential duality of use and function attributed to these forms. The resulting works are expressive, rather than functional representations of hierarchy and necessity.

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About The Artist

Significant to Mark Essen's practice are the inherent contradictions embodied in his process, material and titling. Essen's work oscillates between celebration and ridicule and notions of abjection and power. He does this by creating extremely similar works which he then paradoxically titles with opposing concepts, such as crown and potty. In doing this Essen conflates the value, meaning and function of his objects and thereby plays with the potential duality of use and function attributed to these forms. The resulting works are, however, expressive rather than functional representations of hierarchy and necessity, but simultaneously catalyse questions about social construction through language and value systems.